Santi Andrea e Francesco da Paola delle Fratte
Santi Andrea e Francesco da Paola delle Fratte was a small oratory, now demolished, opposite the church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte in the Via di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. This is in the rione Colonna.The joint dedication was to St Andrew the Apostle and St Francis of Paola. History The oratory was a relic of the days when Sant'Andrea was the national church of Scotland, and had a pilgrim hospice attached. This was the Scots Hospice (not to be confused with the Scots College), which was founded here about the year 1450 (the exact date is uncertain) after an Augustinian nunnery previously in occupation had failed. The Scots Hospice was the centre of life in Rome for Scots expatriates and pilgrims, in the days when Scotland was an independent kingdom, and was under the patronage of the Scots kings. However, as a result of the Reformation in Scotland in the early 16th century, the flow of pilgrims dried up completely and in the middle of that century the insolvent institution was closed down. The premises were given into the care of the Del Bufalo family, noted benefactors of Sant'Andrea. In 1576 the complex, with its church, was granted to a Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, a pious lay organization which promised to set up a new parish. But the task proved beyond the capabilities of its members, and in 1585 the premises were granted to the Minim Friars whose founder was St Francis of Paola. They established the parish, as well as building a new monastery for themselves and rebuilding the church. However a section of the confraternity refused to accept the decision, and took over a house opposite the church which had also belonged to the Hospice. There they set up an oratory, and ran the premises as a smaller hospice for Scots pilgrims and exiles. This was a useful work, so they were left alone. However, the focus of expatriate Scots activity in Rome soon moved to Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi at the start of the 17th century. After the confraternity had seen off a determined effort to add their property to the patrimony of the Scots College, it settled down to life as the local eucharistic confraternity in the parish of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. This involved being reconciled with the Minim Friars, which led to the addition of St Francis of Paola to the oratory's dedication. This arrangement persisted until 1880, when the confraternity decided to sell the premises together with its oratory. This was the result of a re-organization of the confraternity, which mutated into the Confraternita del Divino Amore e Sant'Andrea and which decided it did not need a separate place of worship. As a result, the oratory was deconsecrated and turned into a private apartment, apparently. The whole building was demolished at the end of the century, and replaced by the edifice now there. Location The street frontage on Via della Mercede was moved back when the old edifice was demolished. As a result, the site of the oratory is now cut through by the frontage of the modern building on the street corner, and the right hand wall of the oratory is marked by the outside tables of the trattoria that now occupies the ground floor of the present building. Appearance This was a very small oratory on a rectangular plan, with a tiny rectangular apse. External links Nolli map (look for 366) Category:Catholic churches Category:Dedications to St Francis of Paola Category:Colonna Category:16th century Category:Demolished churches Category:Oratories Category:Confraternity church or chapel Category:Dedications to St Andrew